Tanaka, tasked with leading the way, climbed the stairs nervously under Masashi's urging. Each step felt heavier than the last.
Danzō's reputation was well-known, even to soone like him. Otherwise, his business wouldn't have flourished to this extent.
rchants who could open such establishnts in major villages were anything but ordinary.
Although the personal lives of shinobi and ordinary people ran on parallel tracks, the shinobi world was still part of the greater society. High-ranking shinobi naturally influenced all facets of that society.
Danzō was such a shinobi.
When it ca to societal influence, even the Five Kage couldn't compare to the power of the title the Darkness of the Shinobi. The Five Kage wouldn't stoop to dirty work, but Danzō would. And those who crossed him tended to disappear without a trace.
The tendrils of Root reached across nations, leaving traces everywhere.
Naturally, Tanaka was terrified.
Arriving at the door of the private room, he swallowed hard and was about to muster the courage to open it when another hand rested on the door.
It belonged to a shinobi wearing a mask distinctly different from those of the ANBU, his gaze ice-cold. The mask's design seed purposefully intimidating—white with thin, blood-red lines trailing down from the eye holes.
Under the shinobi's stare, Tanaka suddenly felt the urgent need to relieve himself.
The masked shinobi glanced at him only briefly before turning his attention to Masashi behind him.
"Danzō-sama said you are to enter alone."
"Mm." Masashi smiled warmly, exuding an air of friendliness that seed oddly out of place. "But first, you should apologize to the owner."
Both the Root shinobi and Tanaka froze.
"Masashi—" A short blade pressed against the Root shinobi's chin, silencing his words.
The movent had been too quick for Tanaka to follow— one mont Masashi was smiling, the next the blade was already in position.
"Apologize for disturbing his business," Masashi instructed calmly, like a teacher pointing out a mistake. His Sharingan showed a cold kind of friendliness.
The Root shinobi stiffened, but when his gaze t Masashi's eyes, his deanor changed instantly.
"My deepest apologies for disturbing your business," he said to Tanaka, bowing slightly. "Please excuse my earlier rudeness."
"It's... it's fine," Tanaka managed to stutter, surprised by the sudden shift.
Masashi's smile never wavered. "That's better. Now, shall we?"
The Root shinobi stepped aside without another word, allowing Masashi to enter the private room alone.
---
The only light in the room ca from the lively nightlife visible through the windows.
When Masashi turned on the switch, the chandelier illuminated the opulent decor in all its glory.
Danzō sat on the sofa, holding a glass of wine.
Masashi shut the door behind him, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat down opposite him without saying a word.
Danzō gazed at the night view for a mont before taking a sip of his wine and turning to face Masashi.
Danzō, not yet as aged as he would one day beco, nonetheless looked frail compared to Hiruzen, his right eye and right arm wrapped in bandages.
But there was nothing frail about the intensity of his presence.
With his Sharingan active, Masashi saw clearly—his right hand was an artificial limb, and his right eye was a dead eyeball.
He hadn't yet embarked on that other path.
This was a man who had committed countless morally questionable acts yet genuinely believed he was in the right. He never hesitated to declare his 'darkness' philosophy.
Every action, every death, every sacrifice was justified in his mind.
Superficially, he might even seem tragic. But his ambition and self-interest were undeniable, and his extre personality often escalated minor issues.
While he wasn't wholly evil, he was far from innocent.
As they said, old habits died hard—he had truly grown into this version of himself.
"It seems your temper isn't as mild as you usually let on," Danzō remarked, unconcerned by Masashi's active Sharingan gaze.
"Danzō-sama, is Root really so short-staffed?" Masashi deactivated his Sharingan, his eyes returning to black. "These shinobi sacrifice everything for the village. Can't you at least improve their public image?"
"Constantly operating outside the village makes social detachnt inevitable," Danzō replied dismissively, swirling the wine in his glass.
"Just don't let them wear ANBU uniforms," Masashi said. "Only real ANBU are entitled to wear that."
"You're too aggressive. We don't concern ourselves with such trivialities," Danzō said, putting down his glass. "But you seem to hold Root in high regard."
"Each has their role. Mutual convenience is important," Masashi reminded him. And so roles should stay in the shadows where they belong.
"Indeed, it's rare for an Uchiha to think that way. Did I interrupt sothing important tonight?"
"What do you think? I was off duty."
"Join Root, and you'll get to sample other specialties from around the world."
"Misusing public funds is against regulations. Even at year's end, I wouldn't take the risk."
"You don't need to worry—Root has special privileges."
"Special or not, that's not my concern," Masashi retorted, unmoved. "I won't work for soone who doesn't trust , Danzō-sama."
"You've never worked for anyone, Masashi," Danzō said. "You work for this view, for yourself. Root could amplify your abilities further."
"Sounds like you're talking about yourself," Masashi replied, unimpressed. "Save your breath. I've worked hard to beco a jonin to avoid trouble like this. No one can force into sothing I don't want to do."
"True, you're not soone who can be bought with petty gains," Danzō conceded, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "But I can offer you what the Uchiha clan never could."
Masashi rely chuckled, dropping all pretenses in Danzō's presence. Otherwise, this man would only push harder.
"Are you interested in Sage Mode?"
Masashi's brow furrowed.
Sage techniques were indeed sothing the Uchiha clan lacked—they simply didn't follow that path. Even the Senju, strictly speaking, hadn't mastered it as a clan.
It was an individual achievent.
Though Sage Mode perfectly complented descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, it wasn't part of their standard repertoire.
"I'm interested, but I'll figure it out myself," Masashi said without hesitation. "Please, save your mark for soone else."
"Relax, I'm not a devil," Danzō said, tapping his cane lightly against the floor. "You like making deals, don't you? Let's make one."
"Go ahead," Masashi gestured politely, inviting Danzō to speak.
This was the right attitude—let's talk business like proper businesspeople. No need for pretenses; neither of us are saints.
"Recently, there's been an organization called the Hannya Black Ops. I need a skilled shinobi to eradicate them using unconventional ans," Danzō began.
"The number of shinobi under Root is limited, and there aren't enough available to handle this matter within a short tifra. But if there's a jonin involved, things would go much smoother."
"I won't ask why they need to die," Masashi said casually. "But I don't exactly have the ti for it either."
"Don't reject before hearing out." Danzō wasn't upset about being interrupted. "The Hannya Black Ops claim they've discovered a location of a secret realm where Sage Mode could be learned. They're hoping to trade this information with Konoha."
"Oh," Masashi's interest imdiately waned.
Claims of such discoveries were almost always fake.
Back in the day, the entire Senju clan had only one person who could use Sage Mode—Senju. But even until his death, no one knew how he had attained it.
Among the Sannin, each had their own specific sage path, and the nas of their respective secret realms were clearly known.
Mount Myōboku as an example.
In the manga, that toad nad Fukasaku once ntioned that Mount Myōboku was located in a place called Mountain of Bewildernt. From Konoha, it was a month-long journey, and it required passing through a secret pathway—otherwise, it was unreachable.
Leaving aside the secret pathway, during Naruto's era, it only took him three days to travel from Konoha to Suna. The distance from Konoha to Mount Myōboku was ten tis that of Konoha to Suna.
That so-called Mountain of Bewildernt was likely located sowhere west of the Land of Wind.
And given the requirent for a secret pathway, even if one could find the Mountain of Bewildernt, reaching Mount Myōboku would still be impossible.
So even if the Hannya Black Ops had truly found a secret realm, the fact that they were willing to trade it likely ant they couldn't enter it themselves and were just using it as a ploy to trick others.
But to dare deceive Konoha, especially targeting Danzō of all people—that was bold. Either incredibly brave or monuntally stupid.
"According to Root's investigation, their information is genuine." Danzō squinted his single eye at the skeptical-looking Masashi. "You're familiar with Root's capabilities in this area, aren't you?"
"Let guess," Masashi said. "Did they trade fake information, or did they use fake intel to obtain real intel from Konoha?"
"Of course, we gave them fake information," Danzō replied without a change in expression. "They think they can trade information with Konoha? Not a chance."
"However, I did underestimate them—they not only withheld their information but even attempted to kill the people I sent."
"Audacious."
"Alright then, how was their intel verified?" Masashi asked.
"I sent two groups. One of them confird the authenticity of the information at their base, but the groups were discovered. The only ssage they managed to send back was this confirmation."
"Is the Hannya Black Ops insane? They're provoking Konoha to this extent?"
"It's understandable if they've inflated their confidence after acquiring the secret realm," Danzō remarked with an oddly understanding tone. "Jiraiya has already thoroughly proven the power of Sage Mode."
No, the ones who proved that power were Indra and Asura. In truth, this world didn't even have 'sage arts' as such.
Masashi had to admit that Danzō had successfully piqued his interest.
To the mbers of the Hannya Black Ops, apologies, but the thing you've got on your hands is just too tempting for .
"Alright, Danzō-sama. How do you propose we handle this transaction?" Masashi asked, glancing at him, whose smile widened in a sinister manner.
"Consider it an S-rank mission. Eliminating the Hannya Black Ops will earn you 2 million ryō. If you can confirm the secret realm's location and entry thod, you'll receive 3 million."
"Very generous, Danzō-sama. Is this because the Land of Water owes us a fortune this ti? How much will the village actually get?"
"I'm not at liberty to disclose that," Danzō replied. "The village—"
"Got it. Got it. The village has plenty of expenses; it's not just the Uchiha clan that's suffered losses." Masashi interrupted with a wave of his hand. "I've fought on the battlefield too, you know. I've had comrades—I understand."
"Good. So? Will you take the mission?"
"How long do I have?"
"Their latest whereabouts place them in the Land of Stone. There's no ti limit. If you're not confident in finding the secret realm, just focus on eradicating the group."
"Hehe..." Masashi chuckled and shook his head. Playing the confidence card? "No need. I'll take it. But I don't need too many people accompanying ."
"Why not?"
"I'm afraid they won't keep up and end up wasting my ti."
"Not bad. You're confident. Don't worry, even if you wanted to send more people, I wouldn't have anyone to spare," Danzō said, pulling out a scroll and handing it to Masashi.
"The location is written here. Look at it now. You'll head to the Land of Stone alone. Our contact will guide you to the Hannya Black Ops. The mission has already been filed, and 2 million ryō will be transferred to the Uchiha clan's account tomorrow."
"Feel free to verify it."
"Everyone knows Danzō-sama is generous with money."
Masashi opened the scroll, morized the critical information such as eting points and codes, then handed it back to Danzō.
"Danzō-sama, let remind you—I'm not joining Root. I'm just taking on a village mission," he couldn't help but emphasize.
"The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal is just a necessary confidentiality asure. Aside from keeping my operations private, it doesn't affect anything else. Root is not the Hyūga clan," Danzō finally showed so irritation.
"The core mbers are all from ninja clans—you didn't know that?"
"Didn't know. I'm not part of Root, after all." Masashi grinned. "Rest assured, Danzō-sama. I'll make sure it's beautifully done."
"Good. Just one requirent: I don't care about the secret realm, but the Hannya Black Ops must die miserably—enough to serve as a deterrent. Use your creativity."
As an afterthought, Danzō added, "If the deaths are particularly inventive, I'll pay extra."
"Got it. You can count on ." Masashi ntally reviewed so ideas, thinking of all the ways Earth's history outclassed the world of shinobi in terms of grueso deaths. This wouldn't be a problem.
It wasn't a matter of lacking integrity; the Hannya Black Ops had dug their own grave by provoking Konoha and killing its shinobi.
The shinobi world didn't value peace—it valued power.
"Alright, that's all I had to say. You may begin," Danzō said, sitting back down and lifting his cup.
"Start today? No need to rush," Masashi frowned. He wasn't a fan of being hurried. "If I go alone, I'll reach the Land of Stone in under three days."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Danzō frowned as well, his single eye narrowing dangerously. "I was referring to the girls. Where are they?"
"..."
Well, this just got weird fast.
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